Pummeled
by FreyReh
Summary: After breaking up with the love of his life Raphael didn't know things could get worse, until a call comes and leaves him chilled to the bone: and wrathful beyond his imagination. (((Zoey/Raphael storyline)))


Note: A one-shot that takes place between 'When Raphie Met Zoey' and 'Past Mistakes'

Title: Pummeled

Summary: After breaking up with the love of his life Raphael didn't know things could get worse, until a call comes and leaves him chilled to the bone: and wrathful beyond his imagination.

Genre: Angst  
Warnings: Violence, Language  
Rated: PG-13 for atrocious language as well as violence… ;)

Dis: Don't own TMNT  
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Raphael was startled awake by a loud, angry ringtone just a few feet away. Muttering to himself he rolled onto his side, eyes slowly drifting closed as the owner of the phone searched for it in the dark. Raphael heard a curse, followed by the sound of empty beer bottles rattling together as his best friend Casey struggled in his intoxicated state. Sitting up slightly, Raphael made a fist, pounded the cushion he had made into a pillow on the floor, and settled back down to once again reach the land of oblivion.

He liked it there. It didn't feel like he was being shattered into a thousand different pieces in the darkness he resided in while sleeping. It was a dark thought, one of many he's had since the break-up with the love of his life. The break-up he's regretted since the day he did it. He had done it to keep her safe and away from the chaos that was his life. Maybe it hadn't been at the best of times, but hell, he'd always been the screw up of the four of his brothers-letting anger as well as fear control his actions.

"Zo? What-" The tiredness of Casey's voice evaporated as a sob tore through the speaker. The same sob that had Raphael immediately sitting up, stone-cold sober. "Zoey?"

_"Casey! Oh God, I need help!"_

_"YOU FUCKING BITCH LET ME IN!"_

"Zoey, call the cops, now!" shouted Casey, immediately going for the door while searching in vain for his shoes. A terrified scream ripped through the earpiece, and then it was silent. "Zoey? ZOEY?!"

Casey and Raphael's eyes met, raw fear in both of their gazes, and they moved immediately. Casey ran out the front door of his apartment and Raphael stumbled only once in his haste for the window. The chilling air did its best to sober Raphael up more as he pounded up the metallic stairwell to the roof of the building. Digging deep he sprinted, rooftop to rooftop, eyes focused in subdued rage as he took reckless leap after leap to get to her.

'_Zo, oh baby, please be ok_,' he thought. '_Whoever made ya scream like that is gunna bleed.'_

When Raphael arrived he saw that Casey's van was already there as well as a man stumbling out of the apartment building. Eyes narrowed, Raphael executed a swan dive, sai glinting in the moonlight as he withdrew it and latched it over a cable to ease his decent toward the ground. Timing it just right he flicked his wrist, releasing the cable, did an aerial twist, and landed with both feet less than a foot away from the guy who whirled around.

He had dark blond hair, menacing blue eyes, breath that smelled like a brewery, as well as a busted up face. His eyes widened in fear as Raphael gripped his shirtfront, lifted him up, and then slammed him into the side of the building. His pressed the sai that he had used previously to the tender flesh of the man's neck, the tip producing blood.

"Gimmie a reason I shouldn't kill ya fer touching her," he growled, making the guy pant.

"That bitch wanted it!"

That was all Raphael needed. Dropping the sai he barely registered the clanging noise it made on the pavement as he balled up his fist and reared it forward into the guy's nose. Blood instantly spouted from his nostrils but that didn't stop Raphael. All his training, all of Splinter's, Leo's, and even Zoey's whispered words on how to control his temper flew out the window as he took out his pain and sorrow on the helpless victim before him. It wasn't until he heard sirens that he stopped, dropping the guy like a sack of potatoes on the ground.

He didn't move, but Raphael saw the struggled breaths in his chest and knew that once again he'd been on the brink of murder, but didn't succeed. Whoever saw this guy tomorrow wouldn't recognize him with the bruised and bloodied face but Raphael didn't want him found near here because of Casey. He didn't want him in trouble for something Raphael did so he carefully picked up his sai, tucked it in his belt, and then hauled the piece of crap up over his shoulder. About a block away from the hospital he deposited him in the middle of the road, making sure to empty his wallet to make it look like a robbery.

Quickly he rushed to Zoey's apartment and he landed on the familiar balcony that would take him into her bedroom. Peeking in, he saw the police and Casey speaking, but not Zoey. Opting for another window he took a slight leap off the balcony, expertly twisted and turned until he was outside her bedroom window. He hissed in a breath when seeing her lying on the bed, eyes closed. Was she sleeping? Taking a chance he eased the window open and made the mental note to make Casey yell at her for keeping it open.

Going to her side he decided not to touch her. If she awakened, would she welcome him or shout for him to get out? He went for the later answer and instead moved his amber eyes over her still form. Her dark hair looked disheveled, but sexy as hell on her pillow. It was her cheek, however, that had his fingers twitching. It was already turning black and blue, and her bottom lip was split.

"Raphael…" she murmured in her sleep, hand reaching out, fingers clenching in her sheets and he inhaled sharply, falling to his knees before her. He took her hand then and her eyes opened slightly. "Are you real?"

"No," he croaked, tears welling in his eyes as his throat threatened to close with the pain. "Yer dreamin' baby."

"I miss you," she whispered, hand tightening around his.

"I miss you, too."

"Why did you leave?" she asked softly, eyes closing again as sleep overtook her once more. His eyes drifted to her nightstand where he saw a bottle of sleeping pills. He frowned, wondering how long she'd been taking them, and he couldn't help but to check the bottle to make sure it wasn't empty. "Raph…. Why?"

"Cause I love ya too much."

She didn't answer and he sat there for only a moment longer before placing a gentle kiss upon her knuckles and releasing her hand. Exiting her bedroom to find Casey alone, Raphael held up his hands to halt any loud objection from Casey when seeing him leave her bedroom.

"She was asleep. I jus wanted ta see her."

"Fuck, Raph, I coulda killed that guy."

"I nearly did," said Raphael seriously. "Beat the shit outta him and left him on da street. Nowhere near here, so ya should be fine."

"Geez…"

"Ya gotta stop her from doin' this, Case."

"Whose fault is it?" snapped Casey, making Raphael flinch then look down guiltily. "Ah, shit man I didn't…"

"I gotta go." Raphael turned his back on Casey. "Stay till she wakes?"

"Uh, yeah, I will."

"Good."

Then he was gone, out the balcony doors and back into the darkness. The shadows welcomed him back to their fold, caressed him as he moved from rooftop to rooftop. Seducing him back into the dark he made it as far as the entrance to the sewer before the anger was too much and he started pummeling the wall over and over and over against until his knuckles were raw and bleeding.

"Zo," he sobbed, falling forward against the wall. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

END FICLET


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